Sebastian Vettel showed all the other Formula One drivers what they have to beat this season when he put in a stunning lap to grab his 16th pole position for Sunday's Australian grand prix.

"We were not too slow," he said, with masterful understatement. "We have done the first step. But we have zero points and it will be a long season."

There was a gasp of amazement in Albert Park as world champion Vettel, who had been fastest in Q1 and Q2, then dominated Q3 with a run which was 0.8 seconds faster than second placed Lewis Hamilton. And Vettel didn't even use reintroduced Kers system, which might have cut another half second to his time.

"I was surprised by how well the tyres worked today - I had a good feeling with them," he said, modestly. But despite the German's domination there was still good news for Hamilton, who split the Red Bulls of Vettel and local hero Mark Webber to secure a front row place.

After looking hopelessly off the pace in testing in Barcelona earlier this month it was an heroic drive by the McLaren driver. His team-mate Jenson Button was fourth, ahead of Fernando Alonso, with the Lotus Renault of Vitaly Petrov sixth. But there was also room for the smaller teams in Q3, with Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) and Sebastien Buemi making it into the top 10.

Hamilton said afterwards: "It's been a fantastic, superb effort by the team and there has been a huge improvement in the car. I never said it was a bad car but there was an issue with downforce."

But Vettel was the drive they were all talking about in Melbourne. Last year he won the world championship, to become the youngest ever driver, despite bad lack and a few errors made out of a lack of experience.

With more experience and a more reliable car he could prove unstoppable. But judging by the way he drove yesterday Hamilton just isn't in the mood to let that happen. And there is still much more to come from Webber.